


Let Me Be Your Star

by RedxRobinYUMM



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Body Worship, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Lingerie, Lots of cushion-y fluff, M/M, Model Katsuki Yuuri, Modeling, Mutual Pining, Phichit Chulanont is a Little Shit, Phichit is the Best, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-11-19 12:47:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11313708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedxRobinYUMM/pseuds/RedxRobinYUMM
Summary: After two years of struggling through his just-thriving modeling career, Yuuri finally manages to stumble right into the arms of the one person he never thought he'd even meet, much less work for.





	1. Chapter 1

"Hey! Welcome back, you get my chips?"

Phichit was met with a brightly colored bag dropped onto his lap. "Yessss." He said as he excitedly rushed to open the bag.

"-hanks huuri.." he thanked through a full mouth of chips.

"No problem, but remind me again why I had to pick up your chips when you were here all day?" 

Phichit gulped down his mouthful. "Because, you can only get these on the other side of town. And it was on the way to your gig thingy anyway." 

As Yuuri sat down in the arm chair across from his best friend, he couldn't help but smile as he indulged. 

He was sunken deep within the warm folds of their living room couch, cheeks as full and swollen as the cheeks of the small orange hamster sitting calmly on his shoulder. The picture of happiness.

"Sooo, how'd the audition go?". 

And just like that, the memories he'd been avoiding since he got on the train back home, began to resurface.

"How do you think it went?" he sighed, feeling that familiar weight of depression, wash over him as he shrunk in his seat.

"Hey, come on Yuuri, don't worry. That place wasn't a good match for you anyway." 

Pitchit sat up, carefully placing the hamster on the table between them, so he could comfort his friend.

"You'll get the next one for sure". He winked reassuringly.

Yuuri weakly smiled back, still trying to forget the last few hours. He had gotten up bright and early for an audition, modeling for some new up and coming clothing company across town called J.J Style & Co. 

Needless to say after hours of waiting in a room with a handful of other models, clambering for the same job, they filled all the openings and sent everyone else home before Yuuri even had the chance to walk.

He wasn't happy about his misfortune of course, but he couldn't say he was surprised. Yuuri had a knack for fading into the background with all the other dime a dozen models around him. Never having enough confidence to make himself known beyond the sea of pretty faces, like sharks waiting to steal the limelight away yet again.

On top of his lack of confidence, he once had crippling stage fright. It was once so bad that it would cause him to trip over himself during his most of auditions or even worse, leave before the audition even started out of fear of being rejected yet again. 

With the help of his friends cheering him on and a lot of practice, he had long since conquered his fear, and could walk without error so long as he didn't get too caught up in his own head. 

However that didn't stop judges and designers from picking the models who were more beautiful. Had more attitude. More sex appeal. More.

This of course did nothing for Yuuri's already plummeting self-esteem as a could-be fashion model. 

But he couldn't mope, he knew others who had it much worse than he did. His name was at least out there and because of that, he was still able to find work with newer, lesser known labels. And that work along the money Pitchit made with his photography work kept him from giving up and going back to Hatsetsu. 

Yuuri also couldn't deny that at the end of the day he still loved what he did and the city he lived in.

He loved his small but homey apartment that he shared with his best friend and his plethora of hamsters.

He loved art and the fashion world, he just needed a chance to show that he was different from all the other fashion models that he would see day in and day out.

"Yuuri come on, don't slouch like that, it's bad for your model-like posture" Phichit playfully jabbed.

Yuuri simply halfheartedly glared at his friend, groaned and slouched deeper.

"I know what'll make you feel better" he egged on in a sing songy voice.

Yuuri was only half listening, totally content to wallow in his own self-pity until he felt ready enough to apply to another company. 

"How about we go for a tour of Nikiforov HQ?" Phichit smirked with an absolutely shit-eating grin.

Yuuri's perked up at the idea of going to the headquarters of his all-time favorite fashion idol.

 

Victor Nikiforov, had to be considered the most inspirational figure in all the fashion world. 

After a more than successful career as a runway model, winning the title 'Model of the Year' countless times, he turned fashion designer.  
He then became the head designer of his own fashion label and became one of if not the most famous household names in the fashion industry. He was a god amongst his peers, and there was no one anywhere near his level of genius.

Back in Hatsetsu, Yuuri grew up watching Victor in countless fashion shows. Modeling couture, younger then, but beautiful as always and Yuuri firmly believed that he was the most beautiful creature to ever grace the catwalk.

Soon enough Yuuri began to 'model' (so to speak) his own career after Victor, hoping to one day be that talented, and to one day meet his long time idol.

Pitchit felt successful seeing Yuuri instantly perk up. "Soo, how about it?" he coyly questioned as if he didn't know what his answer would be.

"..I guess we could go for a little while."

Score: 1 for Phichit

"See! I knew you'd come around" he said grinning wildly. And in one swoop, he picked up his hamster and bolted to his room. 

"Let me put Kanchana back and grab my jacket" he yelled back into the living room.

Yuuri smiled again at his over excited friend and sank back into the couch. He reached into the bag at his feet and pulled out his sketchbook as he waited.

Absentmindedly drawing sweaters and trench coats before sketching pearl white bangs and little heart-shaped smiles from memory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HA! Finally posted the first chapter of this story that I've wanted to write for awhile.  
> My first contribution to the colossus that is the yoi fandom.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------  
> && 'Kanchana' is a Thai name that translates to 'gold'.


	2. Chapter 2

He and Phichit made it downtown fast enough to catch the last tour of the day.

They slowly entered through the spinning doors of the beautifully designed building, taking their time admire the soft colors and Greek-esque architecture.

They approached the front desk only to be met by a stern faced woman.

Yuuri made a move to alert her of the their presence as she was talking, but she quickly held up a finger to the other, firmly ignoring the two until her call was finished.

After she hung up, she shot a steely glare to the two in front of her, making the boys shiver under their coats.

"Can I help you?" she asked, sounding firm yet bored at the same time.

Yuuri quickly explained that they were here for the building tour, and were 'politely' instructed to wait in the waiting area until they were called.

Yuuri plopped down in one of the many love seats of the common area, nervously tapping fingers in wait.

Including himself and Phichit, there were about a dozen others waiting for the tour as well. Some talking quietly amongst themselves, some just browsing their phones.

Even Phichit busied himself by taking selfies with the nearby stoic-looking statues.

Yuuri silently wished he could follow their example but he didn't how to calm his nerves.

He knows that he agreed to come here with his friend, in an attempt to feel better about the day he's had, but being there always put him on edge.

And it wasn't like he hasn't been there before either.

As soon he made it to St. Petersburg, the first thing he did was drop all of his belongings in the new apartment and drag Phichit to the nearest train.

Because more than anything, he wanted to see the Nikiforov Tower in person, the sole monument of his idol's legacy.

Needless to say he and Phichit went back countless times, even when they got bored.

Phichit was an aspiring photographer, and he and his thousands of followers appreciated countless pictures inside the infamous tower. Whereas Yuuri appreciated everything.

However, no matter how many times he'd visit, there was something unnerving about being inside of Victor's actual base of operations.

The fact that Victor could be somewhere in this building at this very moment, gave Yuuri an almost suffocating sense of unease.

That combined with that familiar wrenching feeling of failure he felt just hours ago, left Yuuri more than ready to pass out.

Then as if a higher power realized Yuuri's unrest, a girl with long black hair, a pencil skirt and clipboard in hand, appeared in front of the group.

"Hello my name is Sara." she said cheerfully. "If you would all follow me, we can begin the tour", she continued ushering the awaiting guests through the open doors into the empty hallway.

Yuuri willed himself to take deep breaths as he strolled down the familiar hallway next to his best friend as 'Sara' begun sharing facts about Victor's legacy and the history of the building with the group.

Besides being strikingly beautiful in design, both inside and out, the hallways of the tower displayed the most amazing pictures.

Mostly photos from shows past, concept art from various lines and of course, countless pictures of Victor.

Yuuri couldn't help but smile with each passing display. Suddenly he felt a gentle nudge to his left side, "See, told you you I knew how to cheer you up." Phichit smiling knowingly at his best friend before pulling out his phone again to take more pictures.

Phichit was right, he thought. Yuuri was more than content to leisurely stroll through the beautiful hallways with the rest of the group. Calmly taking in the familiar sights until they reached the end of the tour, and then travel home for some well-deserved sleep. The familiarity of the tour he had taken so many times and the vast pieces showcasing Victor and his work was exactly the distraction he needed to put his long stressful day behind him.

However as Yuuri , he suddenly became aware that Phichit was no longer walking in tow with him. He briefly paused in his steps, seeing Phichit, standing in place at least five steps behind him.

As he waled back to his friend, he noticed that he seemed to be frantically searching his coat pockets.

“Hey what’s wrong, you lose your phone or something?” he asked his friend who was still searching.

He found it odd that Phichit would’ve misplaced his precious phone considering that he just had it a second ago.

Finally giving in to defeat, Phichit stopped emptying his pockets, looking shyly up at Yuuri before abstaining from eye contact all together.

“Uh-n-no.. I.. lost.. Kanchana..”

.  
.  
.

Complete silence between the two boys took over, completely tuning out the quiet footsteps of their tour group getting further away.

Yuuri let an uneasy sounding chuckle slip through. “No. No, what are you talking about, you put Kanchana back in her-“

“I-I didn’t. I.. snuck her in my coat pocket so I could get a picture with her on one of the marble statues. I don’t even know when or how she got out.” He finished worriedly.

Yuuri was sure he was listening to his friend but the feeling of impending doom he felt weighing on his chest made it hard to process his words. Or breathe.

From what he did understand..

Phichit brought along one of his hamsters.

Said hamster escaped and is now scurrying around free inside the building.

Inside the _Nikiforov_ building.

Yeah, he defiantly wasn’t breathing.

“This isn’t happeningthisisnthappeningthisisnt-” Yuuri held his hands over his head, chanting over and over in hopes that this actually was a dream.

“Calm down Yuuri!” Phichit tried, shaking his friend before the overall panic could set in. “We can fix this, we just have to find her before anyone else does.” He reasoned.

Yuuri stopped his current melt down, just to look at his friend with wide eyes. “W-we can’t do that, what about the to-mphh!” Yurri exasperated a little too loudly, forcing Phichit to throw a hand over his mouth.

“Sshhh! They’ll never know we left, come on.” He reasoned, hauling a flailing Yuuri in the opposite direction of the tour.

Even with Yuuri constantly thrashing about, he could still see Sara dutifully telling facts and stories to their group, clearly not even noticing their absence.

Once they were out of sight, he finally stopped fighting, defeated and slumped in Phichit’s arms as he dragged him through the nearest neighboring hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kanchana you little troublemaker ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  
> .  
> .  
> .


	3. Chapter 3

It’s a mystery why Yuuri thought that he could just wind down normally after such a hectic day.

 

Now here he was, sneaking through the halls of the Nikiforov Tower, fashion mecca and sole monument of his idol, Victor Nikiforov… hamster hunting.

 

The only bright side he supposed was that he wasn’t alone he thought, watching Phichit sneak quietly against the wall as they moved down the hallway. If Yuuri weren’t sure that he knew Phichit expertly, he would’ve thought that he’s done something like this before.

 

He almost chuckled at the thought, still trailing behind his friend, looking like a man on a mission.

 

As unlikely as their whole situation was, Yuuri knew it was unlikely that they were leaving without the little orange hamster. Much less he would have to tend to a hysterical Phichit, crying to the rest of his hamsters about how they ‘lost a sister’.

 

So they searched the halls as quietly and un-suspiciously as they could. Imagining that anyone who found them, sneaking around crouched near the floor, whispering words in broken Thai, would find them suspicious regardless.

 

“There she is!” Phichit all but screamed, seeing the brightly colored hamster in the distance on the bottom shelf of a clothes rack, seemingly chewing on something to keep it preoccupied.

 

Yuuri was so relieved that they found her before they went too far into the building, risking getting caught and thrown out. “Thank goodness,” he said, exhaustion finally taking hold of his voice. “Lets grab her and get out of-mph“

 

Pitchit grabbed Yuuri yet again and ducked behind the nearest corner, hearing loud voices and a crash coming from a doorway nearby.

 

“-ould you be careful! These are prototypes. We actually need to get them upstairs in one piece.” Scolded a female voice, a foriegn accent shining through her words.

 

“Stooop nagging me Mila,” said another hostile voice. “I’m going to have to wear this garbage at some point anyway.”

 

The two boys peaked around the corner, seeing a tall redheaded woman picking up some pieces of clothes that fell on the floor and blonde boy with shoulder length hair, scowling and looking at his phone.

 

“If that geezer really cared about this junk, he would’ve taken it himself instead of having us do his dirty work.” The boy seethed as they walked into the elevator at the end of the hall, clothing rack and unknowing hamster in hand.

 

“Aww, there’s that boyish charm we all know and love.” The girl punctuated by pinching his cheeks rather hard. The last sounds the two heard were a few loud angry squawking noises before the elevator closed around them.

 

Finally deeming it safe to move from their hiding space, Yuuri saw the dial over the elevator door move higher and higher, signaling that Kanchana would be getting off at one of the upper floors of the Nikiforov building.

 

Floors that were defiantly not open to the public, but before he even had the chance to protest, Phichit was already yanking him in the direction of the nearby staircase.

 

‘So much for not going too far.’ Yuuri lamented.

 

* * *

 

 

Exhausted and utterly drained, Yuuri made it up the final step of what seemed like seven flights of stairs, still close behind Phichit. He took a second to observe their surroundings, since he had never been allowed to tour this far into the tower.

 

Past tour guides shared that they were only allowed to show the public everything on the bottom floor, the gardens outback and the ‘Mannequin Room’ showcasing the very best of Victor Nikiforov’s masterpieces. He supposed it was just another way to make him seem like more of a ‘mysterious genius’ to the public eye, and therefore more interesting if even possible.

 

Yuuri smiled as he thought back to all the wonderful costumes and creations he had saw the day he first went to the Mannequin Room. Some costumes Victor had even worn himself in his modeling days. All so breathtaking that Yuuri had to almost force himself to leave with Phichit and his group.

 

Victor’s work always seemed to have that effect of his audience. He had a talent for surprising the public with his choices, especially at his shows. No one had a clue what he would do next until he did it, and he did it in such a magnificent way, that hardly anyone could look away from the models strutting across the stage in his beautiful creations.

 

Yuuri had been known to fall pray to this form of ‘willing hypnotism’ as Phichit would call it, more than enough times to know it wasn’t just the clothes that drew him in.

 

Even as a child growing up watching Victor model someone else’s clothes, there was something about the way he moved on stage. So graceful and carefree. Captivating the audience with his beauty.

Yuuri blushed at his thoughts, quickly shaking them off as he heard the two voices from before in the distance. They spoke amongst themselves, leaving a nearby room without the sought after clothing rack, and back into the elevator they had originally been in.

 

Once Yuuri and Phichit were sure they were long gone, they made their way to the previously exited door.

 

A sign caught Yuuri’s eye as they approached the door, _Costume Detail_.

 

Oh, this can’t be good.

 

“Phichit don’t you think that we might finally be taking things too far, this room is clearly not meant for us.” He tried to reason.

 

“Hey its not our fault they chose to get cheap on the security in the afternoon,” Phichit smirked. “-and it’s not like I’m breaking in, the door’s unlocked. Pretty careless if you ask me.”

 

Yuuri sighed defeated yet again and after taking one last look down the corridor, they made their way inside and closed the door behind them. Yuuri finally feeling like he was way out of his depth, felt like he should set some ground rules, in order to hurry Phichit along in locating his wandering pet, so they could both leave as soon as possible.

 

Yuuri had only managed to take three steps inside the room before stopping, completely, pausing to take in the sights around him.

 

In the fairly large dimly lit room they had entered, they were met with countless clothing racks, all harboring pieces from Victor's line.

 

Instantly memorized he walked slowly towards the closest items before him, struggling with himself and deciding whether to actually touch them or not. Upon closer inspection he could see they were not only pieces from the most recently featured line, but costumes from different lines past as well. 

 

Various jackets, sweaters and suits clustered together, organized most likely by color rather than clothing type. Form fitting suits and extravagant costumes, all decorated by feathers, gems, sequins and almost any material Yuuri could think of.

 

All of them squished together on multiple racks, or thrown on every flat tangible surface possible. Some were even haphazardly thrown on nearby couches and over dressers and their mirrors. Some were even on the floor.

 

Yuuri could hardly believe how much he was being allowed to see all at once. He almost forgot to breathe at one moment if not for Phichit noisily shuffling around in the background to snap him out of his stupor. 

 

He slowly made his way through the vast isles of clothing, running his fingers through the many different materials, until one piece caught his eye. 

 

It was a black seemingly skintight suit, with mesh-like cutouts and crystals adorning the shoulder. Yuuri instantly recognized it as the last outfit Victor wore before ending his modeling career. 

 

Yuuri remembered that show very fondly and would never forget how Victor looked in the costume before him. It was even more beautiful seeing it in person he thought smiling, touching the fabric tenderly.

 

Still lost in the memory, Yuuri heard a loud crash somewhere off a few feet from him bringing him out of his thoughts again.

 

"I FOUND HER" he heard Phichit squeal, rushing over to him with his small orange companion in hand.

 

Yuuri, relieved, smiled at the little hamster as if to say 'Do you know how much trouble you've caused today?'

 

"Nice suit."

 

Yuuri brought his attention to Phichit once again, seeing his gaze directed to his own hand still touching the costume he had been admiring just moments ago.

 

"Yeah it is" he said wistfully.

 

"You knooow.." Yuuri frowned recognizing that tone of voice.

 

It was the tone that he knew his best friend used when he had a bad idea.

 

"..you could always just try it on", Phichit said egging him on, and of course Yuuri was right: Very Bad Idea.

 

"I-I can't do that!" he panicked, "We're not even supposed to be here!" yelling in an overly hushed tone.

 

"Pfft! Come on no one will know, look it's even your size!" he argued back smiling at his friend.

 

"Phichit."

 

"Come on, this is a  _ Victor Nikiforov  _ Original, Yuuri.." he pleaded holding up the garment even closer to Yuuri, as if tempting his already waning conscience.

 

"..you might not get this chance again."

 

Yuuri twitched uncomfortably until finally reaching out and taking the suit in his hands. 

 

Looking down at the suit, 'want' taking hold of his better judgment, fightingagainst with everything within him, telling him this was something he absolutely _shouldn't_ do but... _would he_ _ really ever get a chance like this again?_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> little bit of a longer chapter this time :D


	4. Chapter 4

As expected didn't take more than the beginning of a nod before Yuuri was shoved through the doors of a built in changing room, with the suit in hand.

 

"I'm going to look around and see if I can find you some shoes that go with that hot outfit of yours." Phichit said through the other side.

 

"-and you better be changed by the time Kanchana and I come back." he chuckled as he shuffled away from the door.

 

Yuuri rolled his eyes playfully, and looked down once again at the shiny black garment in his hands. 

 

He took a deep breath and then sighed before looking around to observe the small conjoined dressing room. 

 

The room seemingly matched the overall architectural style as the first floor of the tower. Only with a fluffy Victorian theme this time, amostly white color scheme and intricate wall design.

 

Yuuri quickly begun searching the room for a light switch seeing how it was nearly quarter to eight and the sun had gone down just hours ago. 

 

Finding a nearby lamp and switching it on, Yuuri looked around the room again noticing it was wasn't as big as the room he was previously in, maybe about the size of a small boudoir. 

 

As Yuuri inspected the room more closely he could also see a few framed pictures sitting on the dresser. Photos of Victor that he had yet to see online. There was even a picture of him in his younger years, long silver hair, happily cuddling a chocolate brown poodle. 

 

Yuuri smiled at the image then glanced up to the dresser mirror into his own reflection. Then he looked down at the suit in his grip, steeling himself for the next coming step.

 

* * *

 

"And you are sure about this?" Victor asked rather calmly.

 

After a long day of back to back meetings, model auditions and who even remembers what else, Victor was finally looking forward to returning home to see his Makkachin and eat a quiet dinner at home.

 

The last thing expected was getting a call form his security office, about two supposed intruders, sneaking around the tower and making it up to the seventh floor without detection.

 

"Yes Mr. Nikiforov, one of the tour guides reported that she had lost two people in her group at some point during the middle of the tour. Looking at the security footage we believe them to be the same perpetrators, originally posing as civilians as to not arouse suspicion.

 

"I see..", Victor affirmed. "May I see the footage?"

 

The officer pulled up the video, the quickly stood aside so Victor could get a closer look.

 

Indeed he could see two figures huddled close to the ground, moving through the hallways at a suspicious pace.

 

Though he couldn't make out the faces, he could tell the two were not coworkers or members of his immediate friend group that he would often let rome the upper floors of the building.

 

He could gather that they were both male, both in light colored clothing, an exhibiting non-aggressive behavior. They were sneaking around, yes, but otherwise looked seemingly harmless.

 

"Don't worry Mr. Nikiforov, we know where they our and we are assembling a team to apprehend them as we speak."

 

"That won't be necessary." He answered.

 

"Sir?" The officer said confused.

 

Victor smiled back at him, "I have a hard time believing that those two are masterminds, which has me curious as to why they're here in the first place." Victor continued.

 

"So naturally I would like to investigate for myself." He finished fully turning away from the monitors.

 

The officer seemed shocked. "Sir! I can't possibly let you go alone to-"

 

"Do not worry, I'll make sure to bring Officers Altin and Crispino with me as well." Victor said in attempt to quell the opposing argument.

 

The two mentioned officers, also in the room, perked up at the mention of their names and begun following the conversation.

 

"But-", the opposing officer tried again.

 

"We do have a reputation to uphold, thus I would like to avoid overly aggressive measures until absolutely necessary." Victor smiled once and signaled the two officers to follow behind.

 

It wasn't like Victor didn't already know that the security department could detain this matter in a quiet and concise way, but he wasn't ashamed to admit that he was woefully curious at what these two boys were up to. 

 

Maybe he was too nosy for his own good he thought to himself smiling as he made it to the closest elevator.

 

* * *

 

Yuuri managed to finally zip up the very back of the costume, shamefully recalling his wild thrashing just moments ago as he struggled to close the suit.

 

He smoothed the material against his body, removing any unsightly wrinkles. The suit was only a little tighter than it should be. He supposed it was because Victor was a bit smaller and younger when he first wore it and because Yuuri always tended to carry a little more 'cushioning' in some places than other models did.

 

It wasn't that Yuuri was in any way overweight... at least not since he moved from Hatsetu. It's just that he managed to always have a little more chub around his butt and thighs. Chub that he couldn't shake despite going for early morning runs or going to the gym with Pitchit. 

 

It fit regardless, leaving Yuuri to walk over to the dreaded trifold mirror. 

 

Upon first glance, Yuuri thought.. he looked..good.

 

After his minor struggle, he was more worried about actually getting into the suit rather than how he'd look in it. 

 

It was still strange seeing someone else in this particular costume that wasn't Victor, but after getting over the shock, he thought he filled out the costume rather well. 

 

The costume of course was still just as pretty as it was the first time he saw it. 

 

_ The lights on the stage were dimmed, a hush over the crowd bellied by the music that begins and echoed throughout the show room.  _

 

_ Victor walks out, stepping in time to the sound, entrancing the audience.  _

 

_ So alluring that it was near impossible to look away.  _

 

_ Victor kept the gaze of every person in the crowd at all times. _

 

_ Then when he reach the end of the catwalk, he flashed a winning smile and winked at the crowd, and Yuuri could've sworn he saw quite a few people having synchronized nose bleeds in the front row. _

 

_ And he couldn't blame them since at the time, he was more than half way there himself.  _

 

_ That was the kind of affect Victor had on an audience. Never failing to give them what they want and always managing to surprise them with overwhelming perfection.  _

 

_Always remaining so confident. But graceful. Yet sensual. And-_ "Beautiful". _While still being..._

 

Yuuri instantly snapped out of his memories after slowly realizing the voice he heard didn't come from his own thoughts.

 

He turned from the mirror, to the voice behind him only to see Victor there, staring back at him with wide eyes and a blank expression.

 

He instantly felt a sickening wave of hot and cold rush through his veins. 

 

 _ "No no no no, please" _ , he kept chanting in his head, praying he was actually imagining this.

 

This was bad. Very bad.

 

As if breaking into his idol's base of operations wasn't bad enough.

 

No. He actually managed to get caught by none other than Victor himself, trying on one of his priceless pieces like he was playing dress up in Malibu Barbie's Dream-house.

 

"V-victor-" he finally croaked out, believing that he sounded like death warmed over.

 

And was more than positive that that's what he end up being in a second.

 

Victor simply continued to stare at him, saying nothing yet, but his gaze from across the room was all it took for Yuuri to start crumbling.

 

"V-hic-tor, I-I'm soo sorry, we were just trying to- I-I didnt mean to.." Yuuri kept pausing, not sure what to apologize for first.

 

He was hyperventilating, trying to hug himself to regain some control over his breathing, but only felt himself tipping downward as if attempting to disappear. 

 

Molten hot tears threatening to fall down Yuuri's face as he continued to hiccup though his attempted apology. 

 

Yuuri was so busy trying to pull himself together, he almost didn't feel two warm hands at his sides, slowly holding him upright.

 

Suddenly he felt a hand under his chin, holding him directly in place to look up at Victor. Who was standing very _very_ _close_.

 

Victor looked down at him sternly, reaching down in his coat pocket for something. However with Victor tilting Yuuri's chin upwards, he couldn't tell what it was until he threw it over his nose.

 

"Blow." Victor simply instructed.

 

Yuuri begun to look at Victor incredulously.

 

Victor raised his eyebrows in return until Yuuri followed his command.

 

Yuuri blew into the tissue until he was sure Victor would be satisfied, then proceeded to wipe Yuuri's very red nose. 

 

Pocketing the tissue, Victor then lifted Yuuri's glasses and used his fingers to carefully wipe away the fat tears still perched at the corners of his eyes.

 

The entire time Yuuri felt numb, feeling as if he was outside of his own body. He was sure this had to be a dream.

 

Once Victor was satisfied with his 'cleanup', he put Yuuri's glasses back in place.

 

"That's better." He finally smiled warmly at Yuuri, successfully knocking all the wind out of his lungs.

 

Victor looked off into the distance for a brief second before returning his gaze back to Yuuri.

 

"Would you mind doing something for me?"

 

Yuuri didn't nod yes or no, not trusting himself to speak, only listening to Victor's words.

 

"Would step up onto the podium over there?" he asked nodding in the direction of the small podium in front of the mirror he had been previously using.

 

Yuuri looked confused for a second and looked at Victor one last time for confirmation before walking over and doing what he was told.

 

"..like t-this?"

 

He smiled again "Just like that." he answered.

 

Victor followed Yuuri close behind, then slowly begun circling around the podium.

 

Feeling as if he was being examined, made his nervousness and panic set in again, wondering what it was Victor could possibly be thinking.

 

He almost screamed when he felt Victor lightly brush his fingers through his hair, gently pushing some strands back.

 

After he was done, he leaned back examining his work, then stepped immediately closer to Yuuri's face.

 

"May I borrow these?" Victor asked politely, despite being already in the process of taking his glasses off.

 

"..sure." He answered anyway, quietly.

 

Victor placed his glasses on the nearby dresser before leaning back to observe yet again.

 

"Now that's _much_ better." He grinned seemingly pleased with what he had done.

 

However Yuuri was still left utterly confused.

 

He gulped down his nerves in a attempt to speak again. "M-mr. Nikiforov I-"

 

"May I ask your name?"

 

Yuuri was positive that he was bound to short circuit at any moment.

 

"M-my name? He repeated. 

 

If anything he probably needs it for the police report that he's going to file, since they did technically break in, he thought.

 

"It's.. uhh Y-yuuri. Yuuri Katsuki." He said hesitantly.

 

"Yuuri?" Victor asked for confirmation.

 

"Y-yes." He answered trying to ignore the way his name sounded on his tongue.

 

"Katsuki?" He asked again slowly, as if he was testing out the pronunciation.

 

"Yes", Yuuri said more firmly this time. Hoping that out of everything he did tonight, his own name of all things wouldn't be the one thing that offended him.

 

Victor looked at him with forgiving eyes and a soft but sweet smile.

 

"What a lovely name."

 

"..T-thank you.."

 

Suddenly Yuuri felt as if he was underwater. Slowly finding it more difficult to breathe and even more difficult to respond to the man in front of him. He also felt as if he was floating yet somehow staying in place enough to remain eye contact with Victor. Feeling as if he was drowning in that deep blue gaze, deeper and deeper, searching for a bottom that didn't exist.

 

"Hey Yuuri! I found some heels that would look great withhHOLY MOLEY..." Phichit paused promptly hiding the shoes behind his back.

 

Victor simply kept smiling. "Friend of yours?"

 

"Y-yes he is, and we were just leaving, again I'm so so sorry-come on Phichit." Yuuri let out all in one breath.

 

"Right behind you" Phichit said just as hurriedly.

 

"I'm afraid you both can't leave just yet."

 

Oh no. Here comes the hammer Yuuri thought worriedly. He and Phichit were much too young to go to jail. They both had their entire careers planned out ahead of them, they wouldn't last long in jail.

 

Yuuri was about to have a panic attack when he felt a familiar warm touch on his shoulder.

 

"Yuuri please calm down." Victor said attempting to soothe Yuuri before he started panicking again.

 

"I was escorted up here with two of my security guards. I just need to tell them to leave and then you'll be free to go."

 

Victor excused himself and began walking to the door he entered, opening it, revealing two beefy looking guards on the other side.

 

Phichit and Yuuri both gulped audibly.

 

After exchanging a couple words, the two guards agreed to leave. The two boys could hear some laughter between the three before closing the door again.

 

"What did you tell them?" Phichit asked curiously.

 

"I told them you two were my nephews playing a game of spy in the hallways." Victor chuckled to himself.

 

"Hey! I resent that! We're not much younger than you!"

 

"Phichit it's fine." He exasperated finally feeling his exhaustion set in again. "This has been a very long day, so let's just go home."

 

"Before you do just one more thing." Victor interjected. "As good as you look in that suit, it wouldn't be very responsible of me to let you take it home with you."

 

Yuuri paused looking down at the suit he was still wearing for a brief second.

 

"I'M SO SORRY, I COMPLETELY FORGOT!" 

 

He begun yanking at the zipper at the neck before looking up again and seeing two pairs of eyes staring at him intrigued.

 

"OUT!" His only word before rushing them both out of the boudoir exit and into the hall.

 

It only took a few minutes before Yuuri came back out dressed in his civilian clothes, slowly turning to Victor. 

 

"I- uhh put the um.. costume back where I found it." Yuuri stuttered. 

 

"Thank you, Yuuri." he smiled once again, and Yuuri felt his legs momentarily turn to jello. 

 

"Now, would you like me to call you two a cab, or I can ask my driver to get you both back home if you'd like."

 

Phichit broke out smiling. "Thanks we'd lov-"

 

"NO!" Yuuri said more loudly than he intended.

 

"I mean, while that is very very generous of you Mr. Nikiforov, we have bothered you enough tonight. So thank you and goodnight, we'll take the bus."

 

"WHAT!" Phichit squawked.

 

And before Victor could even argue that it wouldn't be any trouble, Yuuri was already in the midst of dragging a struggling Phichit, to the nearest elevator.

 

"But I don't wanna take the bus! Yuuri~!" Phichit whined down the hall.

 

As soon as they were out of sight, Victor couldn't help but chuckle to himself. 

 

What an interesting night, he thought to himself.

 

Victor then reached into his trousers to pull his cell phone and dial.

 

 _.......ring _ _.......ring _ _.......ri - _

 

"Ahh, Chris! Sorry to call you so early over there. Listen I want to ask you a favor."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DAMN THIS TOOK LONG XO......enjoy


	5. Chapter 5

Coffee.

 

Coffee was the only thing that'd Yuuri would allow in his presence in that moment, he thought as he tossed and turned in bed, silently begging the sunlight to stop creeping into his shared bedroom.

 

Thankfully at least one of his prayers were answered, as he smelled the fragrant aroma of coffee being made in the kitchen.

 

Yuuri reluctantly threw himself out of bed and slowly made his way to the kitchen.

 

"GOOD MORNING YUURI" Phichit, hollered at his still half-asleep friend.

 

Yuuri yawned and quietly greeted him back, before grabbing a full cup of the dark elixir and sit down at the table to watch Phichit animatedly finish making their breakfast.

 

Yuuri briefly thought about how lucky he was to have a friend who constantly woke up so early every morning.

 

Yuuri was the type to sleep in till noon if he had his own way. Even during their years in college together, he would often sleep in by accident.

 

Almost missing countless classes, auditions and ballet practice if not for Phichit dedicating himself to making sure Yuuri got his ass out of bed and where the hell he needed to be.

 

He smiled as he sipped his coffee. It had been three days since the 'incident' at the Nikiforov Tower, and Yuuri thanked his lucky stars that no immediate action was taken against them, allowing them to try and put the whole mess behind them.

 

Even despite his cruel-fully embarrassing meeting with Victor, he was thankful that he was so good-natured and understanding and simply let them leave. Even offering them a ride home for good measure.

 

It wasn't until they had completely left the building and onto the safety of the nearest bus that Yuuri let his thoughts sink in.

 

He finally met his idol.

His idol now knew his name.

And he probably thought he was some crazed stalker fan, that broke in to stare at his pictures and smell his clothes.

 

Yuuri groaned, slamming his head on the table in front of him.

 

"Don't worry Yuuri, the food is almost done" Phichit cheerfully called over his shoulder.

 

In any case, Yuuri was more than willing to put the entire ordeal behind him, and fortunately applying for future casting calls and auditions would be a more productive distraction than just staying in bed.

 

Pitchit soon finished cooking and sat down next to him with his own plate and a plate for Yuuri filled to the brim with bacon and eggs.

 

Yuuri decided to check his email before browsing any of his favorite job finding sites, but his eyes landed on one email that stood out from the rest.

 

'Greetings from Nikiforov Tower'

.

.

.

...you have gotta be kidding.

 

"What's wrong?" Phichit said with a mouth full of toast, making him realize that he must have been speaking aloud.

 

He heard Phichit quickly move behind him as he sat there frozen in his chair, shakily clicking open the email.

 

* * *

 

**_Hello Mr. Katsuki,_ **

****

**_We hope this letter finds you well. Certain members at Victor Nikiforov would like to meet with you to discuss the events that took place during your most recent visit to our building._ **

****

**_Meeting in person would allow us to better resolve matters and help us choose the best possible course of action to take to rectify this situation._ **

****

**_We would like to meet with you on XX/XX at 12:00pm or at your earliest convenience._ **

****

**_Sincerely,_ **

**_Your Friends at Nikiforov Tower_ **

 

 

* * *

 

_Rectify this situation? Resolve matters?_

 

That's it. They were going to take legal action. They were going to sue him for all he's worth, throw him in jail, and then watch him rot.

 

How could he have been so stupid. Of course they would've never have gotten off so easily after breaking and entering into a major place of business. The Nikiforov Tower no less, which was practically a monument smack dab in the middle of New York City, one of the major the fashion capitals of the world.

 

Not only that, but he tried on priceless merchandise that shouldn't have even been touched by the public, much less worn.

 

Oh god. What if he damaged the suit. What if that's why they sent the email. He couldn't afford to pay millions of dollars.

 

As if finally understanding the weight of the situation, Yuuri sunk down under the kitchen table, groaning pitifully.

 

"There, there Yuuri. It'll be ok" he heard, feeling a warm hand on his back.

 

"What am I gonna do Pitchit, I mean in this situation the only answer is to run away, right?" He asked already picturing himself speed packing all his belongings, his favorite picture of Victor, maybe one of Phichit's hamsters for company and leave the city to disappear into the unknown.

 

With any luck, in time Yuuri's weight would return and he'd grow a lengthy beard and become completely unrecognizable to anyone that'd pass him by.

 

"I mean- that sounds like a good idea in theory, but I don't know how far you can get in two hours".

 

"Wait, what?" Yuuri quickly skimmed over the formal email. The meeting was scheduled for today and it was indeed set two hours from now. Perfect.

 

He didn't have time to pack. Or to grow a beard.

 

He didn't even have enough time to finish panicking.

 

"Hey Yuuri before you freak out, I think the best option you have is to go to this meeting and let them hear you out." Phichit reasoned, sitting back down across from his worried friend.

 

"Just tell them the whole story and apologize, and if that doesn't work then I'll be right there with ya."

 

Yuuri smiled at Phichit, took a deep breath, and finally began to weigh his options.

 

On the one hand running away and disappearing successfully would spare him any future interaction or legal action that would be taken against him by representatives at Victor Nikiforov.

 

He would never again be forced to relive the embarrassment and stress that he suffered that night, especially in front of his lone idol.

 

He'd be free of this whole mess.

 

But it wouldn't stop them from going after Phichit or even his family, and he couldn't let them suffer for his mistakes.

 

Yuuri returned his gaze back to Phichit who also seemed to be watching and waiting for his decision.

 

"I better get ready." he sighed.

 

* * *

 

 

Surely he made the wrong decision Yuuri thought as he stood frozen outside the revolving doors of Nikiforov Tower ten minutes before twelve o'clock.

 

He silently prayed to every deity out there that the sidewalk would swallow him whole and prevent him from having to go in the building in front of him.

 

His prayers remained unanswered.

 

Reluctantly he forced himself inside, and while walking through the fairly large waiting room, he noticed that it wasn't as crowded as the last time he was here.

 

Come to think of it, he'd never seen the place look so empty before.

 

Were they not doing building tours today? Or is did they stop the tours all together because of what he and Phichit did?

 

Shaking off his thoughts, he made his way to the front desk, only to come face to face with the same moody receptionist he and Phichit met during their last visit.

 

"Uhm- hi." Yuuri began not getting the woman to even look up, yet still he pressed on.

 

"I-I got a letter saying that I was supposed to come here at noon for a meeting or someth-".

 

"Yes Mr. Katsuki, we've been expecting you. The receptionist promptly cut off, stopping Yuuri from speaking.

 

"Just take the elevator there across the hall, you'll need this key card to use it." She pointed still managing to look as bored as ever.

 

"You'll be needed on the top floor." The receptionist punctuates with a glare that makes Yuuri gulp loudly and scurry over to the elevator.

 

He swiped the card and quickly, made his way inside the elevator and pressed the highest number.

 

Yuuri clutched the key card still in his hand, willing his heart to calm down. He agreed to go through with this and he couldn't very well turn around now. Even if he desperately wanted to.

 

But Phichit was right, he was going to stand his ground, tell them what happened and plead his case.

 

In hindsight he wished he had a better excuse than 'his friend's hamster got loose', but he couldn't do anything ab-"Crap!" Yuuri cursed.

It only occurred to him now that the receptionist never told him what room he'd be in.

 

He heard the small 'ding' of the elevator bell, signaling that he reached his destination.

 

As he got off the elevator, he was shocked to see only one fairly large and overly intricate door at the end of the short hallway. No other rooms, just some small tables and chairs sitting unbothered and a couple paintings decorating the walls.

 

'Well I guess that answers my question.' Yuuri thought as he approached the door.

 

After stealing one last deep breath, Yuuri pushed through the double doors ready for full table of stuffy representatives that would judge him harshly and decide his fate.

 

What he actually got was a completely empty room filled with various white tables and chairs.

 

The room was noticeably bright thanks to all the completely white walls and the sunlight being filtered inside by the multiple bay windows scattered around the room.

 

Inside, the room didn't seem to highly decorated either. Just the necessary desk or table, a flat screen, a couple houseplants and a dark blue couch serving as the centerpiece, giving overview to a functioning kitchen just in the background.

 

To Yuuri the entire layout seemed to give off the vibe of a lived in apartment rather than the cold dark meeting room he was expecting.

 

Which made him think that this had to be a mistake. Surely this was the wrong room and he wasn't meant to be here.

 

Yuuri was only allowed those few seconds to ponder this before he was ambushed by a large fast moving 'thing' that successfully knocked off his glasses and pinned him to the ground.

 

Still pinned down, Yuuri blindly searched and found his glasses so he could actually see the unforgiving entity that pushed him down.

 

Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was a large brown poodle, barking loudly and happily wagging it's tail. Looking at the dog actually reminded him of his own Vicchan back home in Japan.

 

The dog sitting on top of him was a great deal bigger than Vicchan, but they were the same breed. Especially considering the fact that he got that particular breed because Victor... 

 

Wait.

 

I mean sure the likeness was uncanny and this _was_ the Nikiforov building but surely... this dog couldn't have been... 

 

"Makkachin, that's not how we behave." scolded an unknown voice in the room.

 

Said 'Makkachin' lowered his head and whined at the prospect of leaving his new friend, but immediately left his seat on Yuuri's midsection.

 

Yuuri immediately dusted himself off, preparing to apologize to the owner of the voice he heard, only to choke up at the sight of Victor standing across from him.

 

"V-victor?!" Yuuri shrieked a little too loudly.

 

"Nice to see you again, Yuuri." Victor smiled politely. "Do forgive Makkachin, he gets excited when we have visitors".

 

Yuuri turned back to the poodle, still wagging his tail and silently watching their conversation take place.

 

"No! I-It's ok." he stuttered just like he did the first time he met Victor he thought embarrassingly.

 

Yuuri took the opportunity to properly look at Victor. He was wearing what looked like his lounge clothes, a simple striped long sleeve and joggers. Not exactly the proper attire for a meeting.

 

He had to have had the wrong room or he was told to go to the wrong floor. Maybe he even read the letter wrong and came on the wrong day.

 

"A-actually, I..was just leaving." He said steeling his nerve. "Sorry to bother you again." Yuuri finished, readily approaching the door.

 

"Leaving?" Victor asked with a confused frown. "I thought you were here for our appointment?"

 

Yuuri stopped completely. So he wasn't wrong, he was supposed to be here.

 

"W-wait so it's j-just us?" Yuuri asked slowly, still trying to understand his situation.

 

"Of course!" Victor answered with a heart-shaped smile. "Are you disappointed?" he quickly countered.

 

"N-no! It was my mistake, it was just that the letter... really made it seem like.."

 

He was cut off by laughter, Victor's laughter, and hearing it somehow made Yuuri's legs feel just a little bit weaker.

 

"I'm sorry my co-worker, Mila insisted that I send out that letter. Standard protocol for the company." he said laughter finally subsiding.

 

"I apologize if the letter seemed more urgent than need be."

 

Yuuri thought back to the vague but frightening letter and shuddered. "N-no, again it's fine." he lied. No need to let Victor know what a panic the letter had him in just a few hours ago.

 

"Good. Although the letter served its purpose in getting you here in record time."

 

Yuuri smiled and nodded, even feeling some of the nerves that were bundled up inside his chest starting to disperse.

 

"Now we can begin." he said ominously, stepping closer to Yuuri.

 

And just like that, Yuuri felt his nerves tighten around his heart again as if nothing had changed.

 

"Now what can begin?" Yuuri asked alarmed at Victor's sudden proximity, and rather than explaining himself Victor took Yuuri's hand in his, effectively freezing Yuuri in place.

 

"Let's go to my room." He smiled again, overjoyed as he begun dragging Yuuri in the direction of another closed door."

 

"YOUR ROOM?!" Yuuri yelled, trying and failing at freeing his hand. "W-wait a minute! Victor!" 

 

Pleas fell on deaf ears as he was led to what he supposed was the bedroom of his longtime idol.

 

Still looking for a way out, Yuuri shot a desperate look at Makkachin, hoping the dog would help him or stop Victor. No such luck as the poodle simply yawned and laid itself down for a nap.

 

'Great'.

 

His Vicchan would have surely come to his aid in this situation he thought just before disappearing behind the bedroom door with Victor. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this tooks so long! Had to cut the chapter in half, so it would end where I wanted it lol. buttt I promise the next chapter will be out soon!
> 
> & thanks to everyone who liked, bookmarked, commented etc. I'm glad you like the story!!
> 
> *next chapter, BOY. Yuuri gon gedittt ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	6. Chapter 6

As soon as the door was closed behind them, Yuuri was fully prepared to be overwhelmed by a waterfall of emotions at the idea of being alone with Victor.

 

So before Yuuri could succumb to his nerves, he quickly distracted himself by looking around the bedroom. 

 

The room was simple enough, resembling the the rest of the apartment. All white walls and more floor to ceiling windows than in the previous rooms.

 

It had a large canopy bed, what he thought was a bathroom in the corner, and a walk in closet which Victor promptly walked into, leaving Yuuri to his thoughts.

 

While the entire layout was a comfortable space and certainly more than roomy, Yuuri found it hard to believe that fashion icon, 'Victor-taking-the-world-by-storm-Nikiforov simply lived in a one bedroom apartment in his own building.

 

The whereabouts of where Victor actually lived was often discussed in the media. Many made claims that he stayed at various swanky hotels or purchased multiple expensive private estates to spend his time. 

 

However Victor never confirmed or denied the claims over the years. Probably savoring the privacy that came with keeping nosy reporters in the dark, and honestly who could blame him.

 

Yuuri's attention was guided back to some loud rustling noises coming from inside the closet. He silently wondered what on earth Victor could be doing in there.

 

Now that Victor confirmed that the letter he received was an 'exaggerated' means to get him here, Yuuri was left completely in the dark about what this 'meeting' was even about. But that still didn't mean that he could embarrass himself anymore than he already had.

 

Thankfully, Victor didn't give him the chance to. "Yuuri can you hold out your hands for me?" he asked sweetly, poking his head out of the doorway.

 

It was an odd request, but he did as he was asked. "Uhh sure...like this?"

 

"And close your eyes~." he continued as if he couldn't contain himself. Yuuri, still utterly confused, followed his directions to the letter, wondering what this was about.

 

Victor nodded seemingly pleased, then walked over to the other man with twelve hangers of clothing and proceeded to dump them into Yuuri's waiting hands. 

 

Yuuri took the heavy mountain of clothes, shooting Victor a bewildered look.

 

"Try these on." Victor said smiling as wide as ever.

 

Yuuri nearly choked again, staring back at the taller man with wide eyes.

 

"A-all of them?!" He asked still struggling to hold them all as Victor pushed him in the direction of the walk in closet.

 

"Of course! Now hurry and don't keep me waiting,  _Yuratchka_ ~" Victor said positively gleaming while sending Yuuri inside with one final push.

 

After the hearing the door click behind him, Yuuri looked back at the door incredulously, as if to decipher if that really just happened.

 

He looked back down at the heap of clothes in his arms, shocked that he didn't realize the pieces he had been given.

 

They were more outfits that Victor had designed in shows past. There were fitted suits, tailored jackets and shiny blazers that Yuuri could immediately identify as Nikiforov originals.

 

But there were also other simpler pieces like fluffy cream sweaters, some plain long sleeves and a couple dark colored trenches. Some Yuuri was fairly sure, came from other brands.

 

And while they were all very nice, Yuuri couldn't help but think that this didn't make any sense.

 

Yuuri already broke in and tried on Victor's clothes without his permission, and now Victor wanted him to do it again?

 

Sure, Victor was nothing short of kind to him when he found him that night, and very forgiving when Yuuri couldn't stop apologizing and close to having a panic attack, but he would have never predicted this outcome.

 

He almost wanted to believe that this was a cruel prank at his expense, but Victor looked so genuinely happy to see him as he dragged him into his room before. Could he really have been acting?

 

"Yuuri~, are you almost done?" Yuuri jumped hearing Victor's voice extremely close to the door.

 

"A-almost!" He lied again, picking the first outfit on top of the pile.

 

'I guess I'll find out soon enough.' He thought quickly stripping himself down.

 

* * *

 

 

It had been hours.

 

Hours since going through that entire first pile of clothes Victor gave him, yet with every outfit Yuuri tried on, Victor seemed to add at least three more to the pile. 

 

Originally Yuuri thought he would've been thrilled to get the chance to wear clothes from his favorite fashion label in front of 'The' Victor Nikiforov, and looking at it from a bigger picture, he should count himself lucky. He was sure that this wasn't anormal occurrence, so he should have considered himself fortunate for the chance.

 

But at the moment he didn't feel fortunate, he was more than exhausted trying on countless outfits, posing in them in front of Victor, only to be sent back into the closet with another handful.

 

Also Victor's overly cheerful nature and willingness to help him in _any way_ had begun to cross more lines than Yuuri was comfortable with, and quickly.

 

_ "Yuuri, you're wearing that all wrong little piggy, just undo a couple buttons here.." _

 

_ "Yuuriiii, you sound like you're struggling. Do you need any help changing in there?" _

 

_ "Yuuri, that last piece was beautiful! I bet you'll look even better in this lingerie next." _

 

 

Yuuri blushed thinking about how he had to say no to that last one.

 

Honestly Yuuri wasn't exactly sure if this was less taxing than the dry boardroom meeting he had originally been expecting.

 

Showcasing the clothes for Victor he could handle, and the constant enthusiasm and shower of compliments he could endure, but the constant touching and lack of personal space was driving him up the wall. 

 

He felt as though he was reaching his limit as he stepped out in another sweater and jacket combo for Victor to see.

 

Victor sat waiting patiently at the end of his bed, smiling at Yuuri's new outfit.

 

"That's very nice, Yuuri," he said noticeably less enthusiastic than the last time he stepped out.

 

"I just have one more outfit for you to try on." Victor continued and Yuuri felt as if his prayers were somehow answered. 

 

He was so incredibly relieved that the rest of the steadily increasing pile of clothes would remain untouched. He felt happy enough to break out in song as Victor handed him the last outfit.

 

It was black one piece with a weird texture throughout. Yuuri lifted it up to get a better look.

 

There were crystals on the shoulder.

 

"...but wait. This is..." Poor Yuuri never got the chance to finish as Victor shoved him back to the direction of the closet.

 

"Go on now, you know how I hate waiting!" Victor interrupted still smiling as he closed the door behind him yet again.

 

Alone again in the oversized closet, Yuuri looked down at the familiar suit in his hands.

 

Surely this confirms that Victor wasn't being entirely sincere with him. Or at least that he had a bad memory. Why would Victor...

 

"Yuuri~!" Speak of the devil. "Almost done?" He whined, voice only slightly muffled through the door.

 

"Ahh just a second!" he answered back, then proceeded to hurriedly squeeze himself into the black embroidered suit, fearing that Victor might just walk in while he was in the middle of changing.

 

As soon as he put it on, he located the zipper and closed the suit with much less difficulty than the last time.

 

Finally comfortable with the snug fit, Yuuri walked further down to the mirror at the end of the closet to make sure he didn't look as awkward as he felt.

 

He smoothed down any wrinkles in the mesh and straightened any crooked seams, but sure enough the suit still looked beautiful and Yuuri actually felt comfortable thinking that he looked good wearing it. 

 

Yuuri turned from side to side in the mirror, further inspecting his outfit, looking for any tears or loose seams, but couldn't find any evidence that the suit was damaged.

 

He breathed a sigh of relief, but it came out more uneasy than he expected it to. 

 

This didn't make any sense. Victor knew this would fit him. He had already seen Yuuri wear it, so why ask him to wear it again?

 

So engrossed in his thoughts, Yuuri didn't hear the light footsteps approaching until two hands loosely wrapped themselves around Yuuri's wrists from behind.

 

"Just as I thought," a low voice hummed near his ear, effectively sending tremors down his spine.

 

"I was actually afraid that if I saw you in this again, it wouldn't feel the same as the first time." Victor continued.

 

"..but I'm happy that I was wrong. You look just as stunning as before." 

 

Yuuri wasn't sure if he was breathing or not in that moment. All his basic bodily functions felt as if they had all simultaneously halted as he fell victim to the sharp blue gaze staring at him from the mirror.

 

"T-thank you." Not knowing what to say, he decided to choose his words carefully.

 

Victor said nothing in return and didn't back away from Yuuri in the slightest.

 

Having Victor this close to him, completely at the mercy of his body heat radiating against him, completely surrounded by a spiraling mixture of his warm breath on his neck, his cologne and his own personal scent proved to be a dizzying experience.

 

One close enough to drive Yuuri mad if not for Victor ready to end the silence.

 

"I suppose I should tell you the reason why I asked you to come here." He didn't say it as a question, and even if he did, Yuuri wasn't sure he was ready to answer him, choosing to simply wait for Victor to continue.

 

"Wearing this outfit was considered to be a very well-known staple in my fashion career," he said sliding the fabric of the sleeve through his fingers.

 

"..and since then many others, including celebrities, have worn it well.." Victor paused, fingertips now lightly following the trail up Yuuri's arms. Leaving goosebumps in their wake.

 

"...but in all my years, I have never seen it look as beautiful as it does on you, Yuuri."

 

Yuuri's mouth gasped open and closed, looking as if he wanted to say something in his overstimulated state, but couldn't.

 

He wanted to disagree with Victor, tell him he was mistaken and that there were plenty of models, including Victor himself, that wore the suit and earned the right to be called more beautiful than him.

 

But he remained quiet, hearing only the noises of his own breathing fill the silence.

 

"But it wasn't just the suit.." Victor spoke again, bringing Yuuri's attention back to the heated gaze in the mirror in front of him.

 

"It didn't matter what you wore..." he almost whispered and Yuuri could've sworn that Victor got even closer to him, if possible. 

 

"Whether it was haute couture, avant-garde, or even simple day-to-day wear, it was  the way you wore it... _it was you.._ " Victor spoke low, still whispering against his skin and Yuuri wasn't sure, but he could've sworn he felt his lips graze his neck.

 

And just like that, Yuuri felt that this was all becoming _way_ too much. He would have thought that he was outside of his body again, watching everything take place from afar if not for Victor's voice assuring him that he was just a breath away.

 

"And once I figured that out.." laughter in his voice. "I knew I couldn't let you go that easily." 

 

Victor gently turned the shorter man in his arms, who in turn, robotically let Victor guide him so they were face to face.

 

He didn't look directly up at Victor in fear of showing him the overly prominent blush that had no doubt taken over his face, even going so far as reaching the tips of his ears.

Yuuri's plan was short lived of course as Victor lightly gripped his chin and tilted it upward.

 

He met with Victor's blue eyes, laser-focused and boring into his own, and somehow Yuuri felt himself blushing harder then before.

 

He took in Victor's features silently, still shaking in Victor's strong hold.

 

They were so close. 

 

Yuuri could feel loose strands from Victor's petal soft bangs, fall against his forehead. He could see nearly every individual eyelash perched low on Victor's half-lidded gaze. 

 

Yuuri could even see the light sheen of chapstick over pink lips, and despite watching them curl up slowly at the realization that Yuuri was indeed staring, he still didn't look away.

 

_ " I need you to stay, Yuuri. ."  _

.

.

The words spun around in Yuuri's head for a few time-stopping moments until he forced himself to listen to the rest of Victor's words. 

 

"..to give me new reason to create new masterpieces that no one has ever seen before." Victor spoke more enthusiastically, even bringing both his hands to each of Yuuri's cheeks, effectively framing his face with his hands.

 

"Which is why I would like you become part of the  Nikiforov brand and work with me  _ exclusively _ ."

 

If any there was time to speak up since the last few minutes, Yuuri decided now was the time. He had to make sure that he was understanding Victor, word for word. 

He had to make sure that he wasn't just imagining this.

 

"S-so..." Yuuri began breathlessly, Yuuri was sure that if they weren't so close, Victor wouldn't have heard him. 

 

"..y-you're saying that you want me to model for you?"

 

Victor's lips turned upward, smiling endearingly at Yuuri. Holding his face in his hands like some precious jewel. 

 

Watching Yuuri's wine colored eyes shift back and forth, searching his face for conformation.

 

"Yes, but it's a little more than that." He continued, holding Yuuri impossibly closer, hovering over him as if fearing he might run away.

 

_ "...I would like you to be my muse, Yuuri."  _

 

Yuuri stood silent, not stepping away but also not saying anything. To be honest, Victor was directly in front of him and he still wasn't even sure if he heard him correctly. 

 

Surely this was a dream. Just a dream. Not even remotely real by any stretch of the imagination. 

 

Only in a dream would Victor Nikiforov, not only ask him to be his model, but to be his muse. His sole source for inspiration, his idol's main focus.

 

The words echoed over and over in his head, words overlapping each other until it felt like a jumbled mess of sounds and syllables.

 

"Have I asked too much of you?" Yuuri's eyes shot back up to Victor's face. His eyes shone with concern, probably worried that Yuuri might be feeling sick.

 

If he was being honest with himself, he did feel a little green in that moment, but he slowly shook his head.

 

He couldn't make sense of this. Why would Victor ask Yuuri all people, to be his muse. 

 

Surely Victor was surrounded by beautiful people day and night. Did he really see something in him that he hadn't seen in hundreds of other models. Something that made him have to call Yuuri back here under false pretenses, just see it again.

 

Yuuri didn't want to let his hopes soar too high, but in this situation, how could he not.

 

"Feel free to say no if you want. I won't force you to do anything you're not comfortable with." Victor said softly, not wanting to interrupt Yuuri's train of thought, but feeling like he needed to say something to ease his mind.

 

"Can-can I ask you something?" Yuuri stuttered but spoke slowly and calmly.

 

Victor smoothed his thumbs over Yuuri's heated cheeks. "Of course."

 

"Why me?"

 

It was a simple question, but the only question that Yuuri needed answered.

 

Victor was a fashion god, a glimmering icon in the world of design. So why did he feel such a strong connection with someone he basically just met?

 

"Because I knew if I let you go so easily, _I'd regret it._ " Victor answered seriously, holding Yuuri more firmly in his hands.  He gently urged him to look directly into his eyes, so he could see the truth in his words.

 

And he could. He could see every bit of truth, sincerity and a small bit of fondness in Victor's icy blue eyes.

 

And with that answer, Yuuri finally came to terms with the choice he now faced.

 

Victor wasn't lying. This wasn't a joke or some elaborate scheme to make Yuuri look foolish. 

 

Victor Nikiforov genuinely wanted him to be the inspiration for his life's work. Could he actually live up to the task? He wasn't even entirely sure what muses did.

 

Yuuri felt himself being pulled out of his own thoughts as he felt Victor's hands slowly pulling away. His eyes were no longer looking at Yuuri, but downcast, seemingly preparing for his rejection.

 

This seemed to finally shatter his heart. Victor had been so full of joy just hours ago. He had never seen him without some semblance of a smile, and not seeing one now was nothing short of heartbreaking to Yuuri.

 

Yuuri shakily placed his hands over Victor's, effectively keeping them in place and enjoying the warmth they supplied.

He watched Victor's eyes glance back up in confusion.

 

Yuuri gave him a small hesitant smile.

 

"O-ok." He stuttered quickly and Yuuri watched Victor's face light up.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woo! that was a doozy! I wonder what will happen now???( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> hope you guys enjoy the chapter ;)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> VERY short chapter, that i thought was cute and wanted to put in before i continue the rest of the story ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Yuuri felt as if he floated all the way home.

 

And since he couldn't exactly recall how he got back to the apartment, who's to say that he didn't.

 

After agreeing to work with Victor, he immediately pulled Yuuri into his arms, squeezing him so tightly that he started to feel faint. 

 

Or maybe his fatigue from playing dress up earlier had finally begun to kick in and Yuuri couldn't handle being jostled around much more.

 

Victor on the other hand seemed ecstatic. Eyes and smile bigger than Yuuri had ever seen them. 

 

It made him feel warm. Happy that Victor could be brought so much joy at the idea of seeing him again.

 

Yuuri started to feel his exhaustion seep in slowly and realized he was only catching a couple of Victor's final words as he headed towards the exit. Some stuff about sending the proper papers to his email then contacting him when to come in and future scheduling.

 

Honestly most of it was overly excited chatter, but through his haze he was sure he got the most important parts.

 

Which reminded him. "..uhm, Victor? I was wondering..how did you get my email in the first place?"

 

Victor stopped mid speech, eyes twinkling as he looked at Yuuri.

 

"After I got your name that night, I asked a friend of mine to do a little bit of digging and they found your online resume." he winked.

 

Right. Forgot about that.

 

"I knew you modeled but ballet, contemporary dancing and pole dancing? I never knew you were so talented!"

 

Oh god. He really forgot about what he put in his job profile. He did it so long ago, he forgot that he basically put down every skill that he had.

 

And now Victor knew he pole danced. 

 

He was completely ready for the floor to swallow him up again.

 

Thankfully not long after Victor finished gushing, they said their goodbyes, and Yuuri was free to travel home.

 

Walking into his apartment almost felt awkward considering the state he was in. Nothing felt real to him.

 

He simply let himself fall into the couch. Allowed himself to sit in silence and replay every single moment that happened just hours prior. Making sure that he didn't forget anything.

 

Making sure he didn't forget the feeling of Victor's fingers grazing along his arms.

 

Or how it felt to have his hands, warm and gentle, on his cheeks. Cradling him like he was something precious.

 

How it felt to hear his name on his tongue. To watch pale pink lips spell them out.

 

_ "Yuuri~" _

 

_ "Yuratchka.." _

 

_ "..ey Yuuriii~ _ open the door, I can't reach my keys!"

 

Yuuri snapped out of his thoughts and rushed to the door. He opened it to see Phichit struggling with a fairly large bag of camera equipment, and quickly rushed to help him lug it inside.

 

As soon as they both finished pushing the bag to an empty corner of the room, Phichit stretched himself out on the couch, hand laid over his eyes like he was in some dated movie drama.

 

"Thanks Yuuri." He heaved, understandably out of breath.

 

"No problem." Yuuri smiled. Half at his over dramatic friend and half at the prospect of telling Phichit what happened earlier.

 

After knowing Phichit for so long, he could probably predict his reaction to a tee.

 

There would be silence.

 

He would slowly watch his friend process all the information, watch him take it all in.

 

Then there would be an explosion. Clapping and screaming. He would tackle him to the floor and start crying.

 

He would probably say how lucky he was, how he didn't believe him. Couldn't believe him.

 

He'd run out of the room and loudly share the news with a couple surprised hamsters. Then come running back to him. Probably hug and shake him some more for good measure.

 

And after all the major theatrics were over and done with, he'd reach for his phone.

 

And Yuuri of course would tackle him, pleading him not to tell the entire world yet.

 

Then he'd beg, and Yuuri would remain firm, but in the end he'd hug Yuuri again.

That hug lasting substantially longer than the others, and then he'd say how proud he was of him.

 

Then Yuuri would probably cry, then Phichit would cry, then he'd ask if this meant they could break into the tower whenever they wanted.

 

Then they'd both laugh and collapse on the floor in front of the couch.

 

This of course was just speculation, but Yuuri gave himself enough credit when it came to how well he knew his best friend.

 

"Hey Phichit.." Said boy peeked at him, from under his still raised hand.

 

"I have something to tell you."

 

Thus Phichit.exe has stopped working.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...gee I wonder how Victor could have already known that Yuuri modeled.  
> .  
> .  
> .  
>  NEXT CHAPTER! ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


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